There's no way Mourinho is maximizing the potential of players like Herrera, Mata, Lukaku, Pogba and Martial with his approach to football. I don't think they are definitively bad players, just need a different set up to get the most out of them.
When was the last time we made 1 undeniably GOOD signing...?
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Zlatan. He had many flaws, including his overall game often being woeful and missing a ton of easy chances, but still, a 35 year old free signing scoring 27 goals can't be argued as anything but a success.
It's damning that this is the only Mourinho signing that can be considered a success. Baily and Dalot may become so in time (Bailly will if he can just stop getting injured all the time), but the rest have been average to downright terrible.
It's damning that this is the only Mourinho signing that can be considered a success. Baily and Dalot may become so in time (Bailly will if he can just stop getting injured all the time), but the rest have been average to downright terrible.
Only Zlatan as he did lead the team and he was the leader on the pitch and he did not fool around on the pitch.
All of our signings has been good. Its just that our Manager and our Board has different ideas when it comes to "how the game should be played"
Pogba- Fred - Herrera is not a bad midfield. Lukaku,Sanchez,Martial,Mata,Rashford is not a bad collection of attackers.
Pogba- Fred - Herrera is not a bad midfield. Lukaku,Sanchez,Martial,Mata,Rashford is not a bad collection of attackers.
Zlatan is the only undeniably great signing we've made over the past five or so years. He's the only one that came here and actually backed up the talk, and won us so many games that could have gone the other way without him on the pitch.
Zlatan was definitely a good signing, when you consider his goal tally and the fact that he came on a free. In addition, I think he had a really positive impact on some of the younger players.
Some of the later signings may look like bad business right now, but could still come good, particularly under new management. I still believe players like Bailly, Lukaku, Pogba, Fred and Dalot could be considered at least decent signings in the future, if we play more to their strengths and they can avoid injury.
Some of the later signings may look like bad business right now, but could still come good, particularly under new management. I still believe players like Bailly, Lukaku, Pogba, Fred and Dalot could be considered at least decent signings in the future, if we play more to their strengths and they can avoid injury.
We've made a number of very good signings since Ferguson left, the problem is the current manager's inability to get the best out of them.
Even in this failing team Martial has undoubtedly been a great signing. Under another manager several others would also be talked up as such.
Even in this failing team Martial has undoubtedly been a great signing. Under another manager several others would also be talked up as such.
Given that we reportedly have 58 scouts and 3 scouting managers while investment bankers veto players and negotiate the deals, it's little wonder that our player recruitment is a complete mess.
I think this is the problem. We dont have enough good players. The whole team is mediocre. If Mourinho had a team full of world class players he would probably challange for the title. Imagine if he had a prime Rio and Vidic with De Gea behind them. We would probably go the whole season without conceding a goal.
Or maybe Mourinho really just has turned to shit but that's hard to understand really. How does one of the best Managers in the world just become so bad all of a sudden? I don't know, at this point he should be sacked because of the bad results. But I cant help but believe that with truly world class players he would win us the league. Does anyone even remeber how good his first Chelsea team was with the likes of Terry, Essien, Makelele, Lampard and Drogba. Compare that to what we have now. We were just really unlucky that all our singings since RVP have flopped.
Or maybe Mourinho really just has turned to shit but that's hard to understand really. How does one of the best Managers in the world just become so bad all of a sudden? I don't know, at this point he should be sacked because of the bad results. But I cant help but believe that with truly world class players he would win us the league. Does anyone even remeber how good his first Chelsea team was with the likes of Terry, Essien, Makelele, Lampard and Drogba. Compare that to what we have now. We were just really unlucky that all our singings since RVP have flopped.
As a previous poster said one of our biggest issues is not moving on and replacing with better quality the rump of 'average' players who are not up to United standard or have failed after being given numerous chances.
What are Jones/Darmian/Rojo/Fellaini etc still doing at the club !! (we even bent over backwards to offer Fellaini and Rojo bloody extensions - completely nuts ).
Arguments could also be made that the Mata/Matic/Young/Valencia are all past their best.
We also offer undeserved bumper contracts to squad level players (Lingard/Smalling etc).
City were ruthless in clearing out all the dross - joining United seems to be a type of lifetime membership arrangement unless you personally request to leave.
If you accept mediocrity then expect so see that on the pitch.
What are Jones/Darmian/Rojo/Fellaini etc still doing at the club !! (we even bent over backwards to offer Fellaini and Rojo bloody extensions - completely nuts ).
Arguments could also be made that the Mata/Matic/Young/Valencia are all past their best.
We also offer undeserved bumper contracts to squad level players (Lingard/Smalling etc).
City were ruthless in clearing out all the dross - joining United seems to be a type of lifetime membership arrangement unless you personally request to leave.
If you accept mediocrity then expect so see that on the pitch.
Zlatan. Pogba if we had a manager with a clue.
Nothing to do with him scoring two deflected goals against us yesterday, but how do you let a talent like Shaqiri pass you by on the cheap?
Seriously? How were we never in for him? Would he not sell enough shirts or something?
Seriously? How were we never in for him? Would he not sell enough shirts or something?
Falcao was pretty huge. Best striker in the world before the bad knees.
Romero and Martial are the only two post Fergie.
Another way of putting it is, how many signings in recent years (say under Mourinho) have improved at United compared to at their previous club? And how many have regressed?
We have made some good signings we are just not playing the right type of football
It's the manager recruitment where we have desperately failed. Not so much player recruitment, although not all can be classed as a success of course. Hard to judge players such as Sanchez right now.
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Once top 4 has gone and we are out of Europe i would like to see a team based around the young attacking players we have to see how we go with that (i.e. the future)- lets face it things couldn't get much worse so why not. Lukaku/Martial/Rashford/Pogba/Fred/Periera/Dalot/Shaw/Bailly/Lindelof - with Sanchez thrown in for good measure as he could thrive in an attacking setup -- The future looks ok to me with that group.
The old guard/mobility claimants and Mourinhos favourites - Mata/Fellaini/Matic/Valencia/Young can be put out to pasture.
This will NEVER EVER happen with Mourinho at the helm so he obviously has to be put out to pasture first !
The old guard/mobility claimants and Mourinhos favourites - Mata/Fellaini/Matic/Valencia/Young can be put out to pasture.
This will NEVER EVER happen with Mourinho at the helm so he obviously has to be put out to pasture first !
Martial then I would say Pogba
The club is in shables hardly a platform to flourish. Not sure any of these brilliant Liverpool signings would have done it here. Salah would have had the same fate as Mhiki broken and battered.
Sign the likes of Ibrahimovic, Di Maria, Falcao, Martial, Pogba, Sanchez, Mkhitaryan in the last 5 years. And still yet to see one season of attacking football. What a failure. A failure on all levels. Board, managers, players. The club is broken.
I'm sure with a new manager who can get the best out of our players would make them look like really good signings.
And from your Liverpool and Man City list I think the likes of Robertson, Stones, Mendy and Torreira are average players but are performing at a high level because of their managers.
Shaqiri would but Fabinho has not been considered a success so far. Either way it's been a few months which is not enough to judge a new player imo.Fabinho and Shaqiri wouldn’t have been counted as successful until last night. Also, they ‘only did it vs United’...
I said the same a few months ago. It was a no brainer for our RW. We needed him more than Liverpool did.
For 13m in this day and age. Danny Welbeck cost more 4 years ago or so.
That’s Jose too interested in Willian and only Willian for our RW.
Zlatan, then RVP before that.
Van Persie the Dolphin hand
It doesn't matter... We could sign Messi and Mo would still find a flaw and have him benched. People have got to understand that our players are underperforming.... by a really big margin. Having Matic and Fellaini operate in midfield is not helping the cause either
Current existing squad? Probably Martial or de Gea.
Finished 6th w him leading the line and missing a not insignificant amount of easyish goals. Still it’s not a bad answer.
Pogba Zlatan and DiMaria were three undeniably good signings when we made them. Unfortunately a gulf in quality existed between them and the rest of the squad.
Ibra the only one.
Our chance creation was really good with him and once he adjusted to the Prem, he was scoring a lot. Shame he got injured.
I think Jose mismanaged him too. He should have rested him more. But he was our only attack. If our other attackers stepped up, we should have comfortably finished top 4. I remember goalkeepers had sensational performances vs us that season.
Our transfer business has just been so poor.
Our chance creation was really good with him and once he adjusted to the Prem, he was scoring a lot. Shame he got injured.
I think Jose mismanaged him too. He should have rested him more. But he was our only attack. If our other attackers stepped up, we should have comfortably finished top 4. I remember goalkeepers had sensational performances vs us that season.
Our transfer business has just been so poor.
If you want to revamp a dying company you start changes from the very top. That's what happens in real life.
Sadly, the Glazers aren't going anywhere, Woody is here to stay and even Mourinho can't be fired after the failure has been.
People who think a new manager can sort out the mess are deluded.
This is a disaster in making.
Sadly, the Glazers aren't going anywhere, Woody is here to stay and even Mourinho can't be fired after the failure has been.
People who think a new manager can sort out the mess are deluded.
This is a disaster in making.
Pogba is a fraud with the insane price tag. Juventus have the last laugh.
Bailey and Sanchez would have both been a good signing under a different manager.
Confidence shot to pieces and both would have flourished at all the other title challengers.
Confidence shot to pieces and both would have flourished at all the other title challengers.
To be fair, Anthony Martial was a great signing. Better than Zlatan because he was relatively unknown and was a signing for the future as well as the present.
Thank goodness we did not go for him! He would have definitely failed to do anything in our setup and the argument that he was bought cheap from a relegated club would have been used by the deflection specialists and Mourinho loyalist to argue how he has been undermined by the board. We have enough excuses already as it is.
Obviously the player's we're signing are very good - anyone who suggests otherwise is bonkers; no club makes 5 years of bad signings. But when the coaching is shite anyone can be made to look poor, and that's what's happening with us. Bring in a little positivity. SAF, more than a good coach, was a great motivator. That's why he succeeded. It's not about having players running through walls for the manager, a la Jose, it's about having players who want to do it for themselves. It's not a special kind of signing, it's proper management. Treat people like children and you'll get children Jose.
I agree that some of our current players are not good enough.
However, looking at the names Liverpool fielded and who completely dominated us in every aspect there are not many I would have considered absolute world elite before joining them.
Salah, Mane and Firminho have all been pretty good players but the idea that one day they are going to arguably form the best front 3 in world football would have sounded ridiculous.
Look at their midfield. Would we have got excited if any of those would have been a target for us? Maybe Fabinho but also more as a Fred-level (nice addition but not that exciting) type of player.
It is not so much about single players but about having a plan and a system and get the right players for that. A lot of players we bought in the past 5 years looked really great (that is why we spent money on them) in the set-up of their old clubs.
However, looking at the names Liverpool fielded and who completely dominated us in every aspect there are not many I would have considered absolute world elite before joining them.
Salah, Mane and Firminho have all been pretty good players but the idea that one day they are going to arguably form the best front 3 in world football would have sounded ridiculous.
Look at their midfield. Would we have got excited if any of those would have been a target for us? Maybe Fabinho but also more as a Fred-level (nice addition but not that exciting) type of player.
It is not so much about single players but about having a plan and a system and get the right players for that. A lot of players we bought in the past 5 years looked really great (that is why we spent money on them) in the set-up of their old clubs.
It comes down to whether they're actually bad players, in which case our player recruitment and scouting is flawed, or good players who have been mismanaged.
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